


The Hermit's Journey

by thelastaprilfool



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi | Fire Emblem: Binding Blade
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, I used darkness less times than the Kingdom Hearts series, fe writers zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27497287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelastaprilfool/pseuds/thelastaprilfool
Summary: Niime encounters several magic wielders in Roy's army in pursuit of her own magical knowledge. But what cost will she pay for such power?
Kudos: 5
Collections: Fire Emblem Writer's Zine





	The Hermit's Journey

Surrounded by a library filled with ancient tomes and texts, Niime looks out her window. The mature woman rose from her wooden chair and saw the snow atop the mountains. She knew this peace would not last.

Bern had invaded its neighbors. At first, she thought it was a simple war between nations. But dangerous mythical creatures were rumored to be in their ranks. Packing lightly, Niime opened the door. With Flux and Eclipse on her arms, a crooked smile runs across her face; this power must be investigated.

Roy's army marches towards Bern. Niime was impressed by the courage and charisma the extremely young leader possessed. Meeting her grandchild was a surprise but not as fruitful as studying enemy Dragons. She found herself in her tent reading journals and diaries of Bern soldiers describing a secret temple containing an ancient and powerful dark tome. Her breathing grew raspy, her gray hair sweating droplets into the paper. Niime recognized what the tome was.

"Lilina, concentrate! Magic comes from within! Focus on the fire within you and let Forblaze burn the enemy!"  
Niime closed her reading material with a snap and hurried outside her tent.

Niime's eyes' widened as a young girl summoned flaming pillars away from her and into a nearby empty field. Beside her, an experienced green-haired woman drilled instructions and encouragement with a proud face. The young Sage dropped to her knees, and the older woman took out a vulnerary in quick response. Niime needed to know more.

"Heheh, very impressive," Nime projected, "you are the Marquess of Ostia and the Mage General of Etruria, correct?"

Student and teacher turned around and the mentor responded: "We are truly them, Niime the Mountain Hermit. My name is Cecilia and I would appreciate it if you referred to me that way."

Cecilia stood up and blocked her student from the Druid. "Could we help you with something?"

Raising a finger towards the young Sage, Niime explained, "A person her age should be taught to build endurance for such powerful magic. However, I can sense that you are better suited to wielding such a tome."

"My name is Lilina and I know Miss Cecilia has mastered the Forblaze tome!" Lilina swirled in front of her teacher and faces Niime. "If I can draw its power, I can help Roy against our enemies!"

"So the Sage speaks. Good. Anima magic needs a sense of freedom." Niime cackles a deep, long laugh before speaking once more. "Any casting of magic needs the user to relax. Your stress has taken a toll on your body and how much power you can draw from your body and nature. Over exhaustion is deadly with Anima magic."

Lilina's face tells all. Paler than ever, she is in shock. Cecilia draws her closer, supporting her student through troubling news. 

"Heh, cuddling a student does nothing. It's only natural for a girl like her to use too much power. She lacks experience, that's all." Niime walks closer to the two, all the while drawing out the journal she was reading earlier.

"According to these texts, the legendary elder magic tome Apocalypse lies close in Bern. May I examine Foreblaze in return for offering insight into your plight?"

"I was already tutoring Lilina to build endurance while using Foreblaze, your advice was not needed." Cecilia replied, "There is no reason to allow you to even hold the legendary tome."

"Hah!" Niime raised her head and her crooked smile faced Lilina. "It seems the student has finally surpassed the master."

Confused by this, Cecilia looked down toward Lilina. Lilina raised an open palm with the legendary tome towards Niime. Mouth agape, Cecilia exclaimed, "Lilina, why?!"

"You, I've heard of your mastery over Dark magic." Lilina moved forward, face to face with the Druid. "The legendary weapons will help Roy end the war. For Ostia, for all of Elibe, take Foreblaze to unlock its knowledge." Lilina places a hand to her heart. "I only ask that you return the tome to Cecilia and that you lend your power to Roy."

Niime's hands were on Foreblaze in an instant. Her eyes raced as she opened the tome to examine its contents. After a few minutes, however, Niime sighed and handed the book back to Lilina.

"Archsage Athos wrote his knowledge of nature, formulas of the human body's effect from the tome, and other Anima magic inscriptions. Other than historical relevance, it is no different than other Anima tomes I have analyzed."

Niime opens her previous reading material and heads back to camp. "Young Sage." Niime turns her head towards a very confused duo. "If I were as patient as your teacher, I may have all my sons alive today. Listen to her instructions. She doesn't want to push you to exhaustion; that would only bring your body's destruction. You will master the spell, I know it."

Cecilia and Lilina smile as the tome is tucked away for the day.

The onslaught of Bern's might rained upon Roy's army. After countless skirmishes, victory was achieved. Niime noticed Cecilia and Lilina trading the legendary Forblaze tome back and forth and unleashing flames upon their enemies.

However, Niime can feel an even greater power at work. It drew closer and closer. Apocalypse. Its mysterious knowledge calls to her. And Niime knew it called the others Druids as well.

The stairs leading towards the underground temple in the Shrine of Seals emitted deep darkness that defies any light from coming through. Niime found her objectives observing the entrance.

"Heheh, the legendary tome awaits and all you two can do is stare." Niime chided her juniors. "I expected this rudeness from you, Raigh, but Sophia you must have foreseen I would not like to be excluded."

Shaken from a trance, Sophia and Raigh turn to look towards their elder. 

"The power to break a planet, it's near." Raigh emotionlessly explained.

"With that power. The future is meaningless." Sophia's eyes lost all color and once more faced towards the stairs.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" Niime screeched at her fellow Druids. "Neither of you are ready to face the darkness within darkness!" Niime held her hands in their shoulders like an eagle holds its prey. Shaking them over and over, both Druids regained color.

"What was that?" Raigh questioned Niime.

"The quest for knowledge and power requires sacrifice. To lose oneself to the darkness, only a few are successful. The legendary elder magic tome draws us close to that river of darkness."

"River of darkness?" Sophia moved her head to the side.

"In our quest for knowledge, it is the nature of dark magic to use your body as a vessel." Niime kneeled to them, looking at their eyes. "Many years ago, I crossed the river of darkness and maintained my sense of self. My sons, they did not."

In the silence that followed, Niime relaxed her grip on her allies. Raigh brushed her hand aside.

"I can cross the river just fine," Raigh boastfully proclaimed.

"My sons DROWNED in that river." Niime faced Raigh with an intense stare like an owl ready to strike. "I will NEVER allow it to happen again." Niime started to go down the stairs. 

"I will wield Apocalypse." Niime faced back to her fellow Druids at the edge of darkness and light. "After this war is over, I will guide you both through that river. Patience, my dears."

Raigh and Sophia wordlessly followed Niime down. Niime had lost her sons to elder magic. And now her quest for knowledge gained her two children.

The King of Bern is dead. Once Niime wielded Apocalypse, it was all a blur. Dragons fell as easy as she breathed. Niime could feel a major difference between it and Forblaze. Apocalypse was not forged. It demanded attention.

Ignoring all conversation, the Hermit threw herself into studying the ultimate elder spell. Niime did not notice a crying purple-haired young man in her tent.

"Please, Grandma, talk to me!" the handsome Sage pleaded, "I'm worried for you. You need to eat."

A wave of vertigo hit her head as Niime began to put these words together in her mind. "Hugh? What are you doing here?"

"Grandma!" Hugh threw himself and hugged Niime in an instant. Niime patted his back and as he disengaged from the hug, she noticed scars on his body.

"Hugh? Why are you hurt? We finished off the King. I saw to it he perished." Niime raised a finger towards his scarred hands. 

"Huh? Grandma, after the King of Bern died the holy weapons pointed to the location of the Dragon Sanctuary. You were there." Hugh questioned his confused Grandmother.

"Yes, of course." Niime waved her hands and closed the legendary tome. Setting it aside, Niime could feel her body quickly losing strength. The world spun as the last thing she saw was her Grandson reaching out for her.

Her head ached. Her body could not move. Her eyes could barely open and detected only her tent's ceiling. Closing her eyes, Niime listened.

"I only learned to use the healing staff after that old man taught me."

Niime heard a familiar voice. Yet, it spoke in an unusually solemn tone.

"I didn't think I could learn to use them since, after all, I couldn't learn dark magic from you. I know, I know, we call it 'elder magic' but it's what everyone else calls it, Grandma."

Hugh sighed and Niime could feel her exhaustion fade away little by little.

"I guess I was scared just like I once was scared of dark magic. One day, after my parents died, I followed you to the caves in the mountains. I didn't want to be alone." Hugh's voice teared up and struggled to continue.

"I saw them, Grandma. My uncles. You, you used your staff to keep them alive. But even I could tell they weren't here anymore. I ran away and when you came back home I didn't say a word."

Niime felt tears on her face. "Please, Grandma. I can't see you be like them. Please, get better."

With all her strength, Niime raised a hand to her Grandson's face, and they both silently wept.

Hugh, Sophia, and Raigh ever at her side, Niime used Apocalypse only when needed and relied on her staves to help the army. With the last Wyvern General defeated, only dragons remained. 

Upon strategic planning, very few individuals were handpicked by Roy to finish this war. The legendary weapons were needed. Her close family protested, but Niime knew it was time. 

However, an old friend volunteered to help her. Niime could only laugh as she and Yoder walked the same path yet again.

Throne after throne. Hallway after hallway. Dragon after Dragon. Niime was sickened by the knowledge gained by the enigmatic Dragon. The true nature of the Demon Dragon was a tragedy similar to Niime's sons. Yoder saw her hesitation.

"It's almost over. I can feel holy Aureola's light resonate within me." Bishop Yoder turned to his companion. "How is Apocalypse affecting you?"

"Hah! Worried I will slow you down?" Niime looked at the Bishop's face. She could still see that gentle young face from their youth. "I feel. Evil. Apocalypse wants to kill her. But, I would not dare do such a thing. Not after knowing what she went through."

"Then you are not evil, Niime." Yoder smiled that same smile that infatuated her so long ago. "Aureola can detect and focus its power on evil users of elder magic. I feel no such thing from you."

The last chamber door opened, and the Demon Dragon dwarfed Roy in size. Niime saw the Binding Blade flare up and a surge of power rushed through her.

"Finally, an end to the battle between Dragon and man." Yoder held Aureola close to his chest and light overflowed from the tome.

In that second, Niime felt it. Apocalypse became a part of her. Her arms covered in black as a crooked smile manifested on her face. "This is it! The power I've been searching for!!" Niime threw her soul to the fight and came back having solved the mystery of Apocalypse.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I am humbled to have participated in my first zine and how much money went to charity! I really wanted to focus on Niime since she is such a cool character. Super happy to explore the lore behind the magic of the Elibian continent as seen and talked in FE6, FE7, and Heroes.


End file.
